The CA cop shooter and Glenn Beck: Here's what we know

On July 18, Byron Williams, an ex-felon with a history of violent criminal behavior, was pulled over by California Highway Police on I-580. Williams, who was apparently intoxicated, opened fire at the officers as one approached his truck. He continued firing as eight additional officers arrived. More than 60 rounds were reportedly fired during the five to eight minute shootout; two officers were reportedly injured by flying glass after a squad cars window and windshield were shattered by gunfire. Williams was arrested and hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds.

Williams was reportedly heavily armed with a handgun, shotgun, rifle and body armor. Shortly after the shooting, a CHP sergeant said that "There is no doubt in our mind, given the body armor and the extensive amount of ammunition he had, that he was on his way to do a very serious crime against either someone or a group of people" And indeed, Williams reportedly told investigators that "his intention was to start a revolution by traveling to San Francisco and killing people of importance at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU."

The ACLU is a very well-known entity, but the Tides Foundation, which seeks to "promote economic justice, robust democratic processes, and the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable environment where human rights are preserved and protected," is much more obscure.

Williams may have been a disturbed individual who was destined to explode. But the question the media should be asking is why he decided to target Tides.

According to his mother, Williams "watched the news on television and was upset by 'the way Congress was railroading through all these left-wing agenda items.'"

We don't know what Williams was watching, or that television played a role in his decision to target Tides. However, if it did, according to our Nexis searches, the primary person on cable or network news talking about the Tides Foundation in the year and a half prior to the shootout was Fox News' Glenn Beck.

According to our searches, since Beck's show premiered on January 19, 2009, Tides has been mentioned on 31 editions of Fox News programs, 29 of which were editions of Beck's show (the other two were on Sean Hannity's program). In most of those references, Beck attacked Tides, often weaving the organization into his conspiracy theories. Two of those Beck mentions occurred during the week before Williams' shootout.

On July 14, Beck said:

You believe that America is the last best hope for the free world. Boy, was I a moron for believing that. Nope, there are a lot of people that believe that we are the oppressor. This man states it. He states in this book "The purpose is to create mass organizations to seize power." Wow! That almost sounds like the Tides Foundation.

On July 13, Beck said:

Well, they have the education system. They have the media. They have the capitalist system. What do you think the Tides Foundation was? They infiltrate and they saw under Ronald Reagan that capitalists were not for all of this nonsense, so they infiltrated. Now, they are using failing capitalism to destroy it.

By contrast, since January 19, 2009, according to our Nexis search, Tides was not mentioned on ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, or PBS. Not once. This search is not perfect -- Nexis does not include, for example, MSNBC's daytime coverage. But the contrast with Beck's coverage is stark.

All of Fox News' references in shows covered by the Nexis database to the Tides Foundation since Beck's show premiered are found below the fold.

On his July 14 program, Beck said:

You believe that America is the last best hope for the free world. Boy, was I a moron for believing that. Nope, there are a lot of people that believe that we are the oppressor. This man states it. He states in this book "The purpose is to create mass organizations to seize power." Wow! That almost sounds like the Tides Foundation.

On his July 13 program, Beck said:

Well, they have the education system. They have the media. They have the capitalist system. What do you think the Tides Foundation was? They infiltrate and they saw under Ronald Reagan that capitalists were not for all of this nonsense, so they infiltrated. Now, they are using failing capitalism to destroy it.

On June 24 program, Beck said:

These are the 1963 communist goals, OK? In 1963, I want to give you just a few of them -- you tell me if they failed.

[...]

Thirty-seven: Infiltrate and gain control of big businesses. What do you think the Tides Foundation is?

On his June 22 program, Beck asked

How about Tides? How about indoctrination? Forget God. It's in George Soros we trust.

On his June 21 program, Beck said of philanthropist George Soros

He also helped start the Tides Foundation, which among its many super, super classics are the anti-capitalist "Story of Stuff," indoctrination video. Yes, George Soros money. Isn't that great? Shown in schools all across America to warp your children's brains and make sure they know how evil capitalism is.

On his May 11 program, Beck said:

You know, last week, I couldn't believe that -- that answer I gave on FOX last week about the Miranda rights, that was off the top of my head. I didn't -- I just got up. I mean, I was up for about 20 minutes while I did this episode.

And even the founders of -- the founder of Tides, remember that? The really shady organization that I'm like -- run for your life, it's Drummond Pike!

Drummond Pike wrote this, "Why I love Glenn Beck." He says, "Beck has just done the right thing, and he deserves praise, even from his rhetorical enemies."

Are you kidding me? It's Tides! I mean, I read that one, I'm like, I should rethink this whole thing.

On his April 29 program, Beck said:

Who's again the Joyce Foundation? Started the climate exchange, seed money. They also give money to the Tides Foundation. Remember those guys? They're great. Oh, that's George Soros.

On his April 27 program, Beck said

We've been telling you all this week about people who will actually benefit from the legislation that is happening now, and cap-and- trade is one of them. In 2000 and 2001, the Chicago Climate Exchange received start-up grants from the Joyce Foundation.

I don't have time to go through this all tonight. I just want to recap this and hold this in your mind. This should be on the front page of every paper. It's such a scandal. I mean, it's - we are really creating just a nightmare of a country.

The Joyce Foundation, which gives money to the Tides Foundation -- John Ayers, the brother of Bill Ayers, Wade Rathke. On the board between '03 and '08 was Valerie Jarrett. She is in the White House now. She was also with the Fed in Chicago at the same time she was on this board.

On his April 26 show, Beck said:

By the way, the Joyce Foundation is bigger than the George Soros Tides Foundation. Yes. It's kind of like that, but bigger. In fact, so big, that the Joyce Foundation funds the Tides Foundation.

If you don't know who the Tides Foundation is, look it up, or refer back to an earlier episode.

On his March 17 show, Beck said:

Here's the audio from George Soros' Tides Foundation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACOB HACKER, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR: Someone once said to me, this is a Trojan horse for single-payer. And I said, "Well, it's not a Trojan horse, right? It's just right there." I'm telling you, we're going to get there --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Got it?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HACKER: -- over time, slowly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: Not a Trojan horse, OK. Tides Foundation, George Soros.

On his March 5 show, Beck said:

Our children are being indoctrinated and it must be exposed. It must end because history has shown us where it can lead. Kids in elementary schools are being taught about cross-dressing, that they shouldn't listen to their parents all the time because their parents don't always know what's best.

They're taught capitalism is evil. Videos like this one are being played in classrooms cross country, made by the George Soros' funded Tides Foundation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (video clip): It's the government's job to watch out for us, to take care of us. That's their job.

On his January 25 show, Beck said:

Soros is practically the only investor that is still on board with Obama's bank plan. Why?

Let's follow the circle of influence. The president, our buddy Phil just serving you, Soros -- Soros has the Tides Foundation. He heavily donates to this. It's great. One of the biggest projects in the Tides Foundation that he gives tons of money to is the Apollo Alliance.

The Apollo Alliance, remember him? Creating green jobs -- that's what he did. I mean, we got Jeff Jones here. He's -- well, he was part of the Weather Underground.

On his December 7, 2009, show, Beck said:

Actual coalitions of power. Hello!

And we're counting `em down, all the way up to number 10.

To be successful, we must put in place commitments for hundreds of millions of dollars to be used to finance paid communications and mobilization once the battle is joined. Money, money, money -- the amount of money and number of organizations that they have gathered for this fight is stunning. Tides Foundation. SEIU spend $60 million to elect Obama. HCAN has donated $25 million in the last year to help pass Obama's health care. But they need that money to able to combat the will of the vast majority of the American people.

On his October 29, 2009, show, Beck said:

We've also seen it in the classroom. We've shown it to you night after night, kids are being taught to sing about how Obama is wonderful and how everyone is equal in his sight. Kids are being taught that capitalism is evil and flawed through "The Story of Stuff." It's a video made by the George Soros-funded Tides Foundation.

On his October 5, 2009, show, Beck said:

I don't have a stealthy agenda, but, I'm still called a conspiracy theorist. Isn't that weird? You know, they have a stealthy agenda, but they're not called conspiracy theorists. They're just called community organizers.

How about this? If I had an idea that I cloaked and made it a Trojan horse, I'd be a nutjob or a conspiracy theorist. But when they have a Trojan horse -- no, no, they're not called that. They're called members of the Tides Foundation.

On his October 2, 2009, show, Beck said:

How could you possibly sit on the sidelines when we keep seeing the indoctrination attempts on our children? The anti-capitalist "Story of Stuff" that we showed you this video. It's made by Tides. This audience knows who Tides is.

On his September 25, 2009, show, Beck said:

On top of that, they are now indoctrinating our children. We showed you all kinds of video this week. Start with this one -- "The Story of Stuff."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, let's start with the government. Now, my friends tell me I should use a tank to symbolize the government and that's true in many countries and increasingly in our own. After all, more than 50 percent of our federal tax money is now going to the military. But I'm using a person to symbolize the government because I hold true to the vision and values the government should be of the people, by the people, for the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: She followed that with the government's job is to take care of us. No, it's not.

Is telling that to our children, and telling our children that America is a bad place, is paid for by the Tides Foundation and all comes out of Berkeley, California, and it's all over our schools.

On the September 25, 2009, edition of Hannity, Pat Cadell said:

I think it's -- I think it's the most -- I described what it was: cult of personality. It is the same thing driving. We have that video that's been seen by millions of people. The stuff -- you know, the stuff we know or the stuff we learn or whatever. Which is -- which says the country should be represented by a tank, which the Tides Foundation is funding. We had the thing with an NEA. This is not an accident going on.

On his September 24, 2009, show, Beck said:

We don't put our hope in a president, in the individual. We put our hope in God. Now, we're putting it in Obama. He is the only one that can help you, but we're all equal in his sight.

If there wasn't the NEA propaganda, if the Tides Foundation, as we showed you this week, hadn't made an anti-capitalist propaganda video that we showed you - if that wasn't out there, well, then maybe, maybe, maybe, it would just be one crazy teacher.

Fine, I would agree with you. But at what point do we as human beings, as American citizens say, "Wait a minute. What the heck is going on?" This isn't the kind of principles I'm all about. This isn't the kind of principles my neighbors are about.

On his September 23, 2009, show, Beck said:

Now, some of the power that's bringing it all together is an -- is an organization called the Tides Foundation. Their founder is Drummond Pike. He describes the Tides Foundation or Tides Center like this: "Tides was created to provide comprehensive flexible services and tools to those dedicated to lasting progressive social change." "Lasting progressive social change."

And while they do legitimate things, they are also involved in some of the nastiest of the nasty. For instance, these two guys, Wade and Dale. Wade is the founder of ACORN. Dale is the brother. Oh, they're brothers.

On his September 22, 2009, show, Beck said:

I believe, last night, on this program, it was an aha moment for anybody in America that is really trying to just open their mind and figure things out when I showed you this board last night.

BECK: And SEIU is on the other side of that. I mean, ACORN, Tides, SEIU -- all these connections, I mean, and we're seeing now how they're all intertwined. The same people keep popping up over and over again. It's pretty eye-opening, but when you combine that with what is being mobilized, I mean -- what's happening? It is absolutely frightening what it looks like is coming our way. I mean, unless -- you know, unless you like France or something worse.

On his September 21, 2009, show, Beck said:

By the way, Tides, in case you don't know what Tides is -- Tides Foundation is with Soros' -- Tides' Drummond pike, the Tides' CEO, he's the treasurer or was the treasurer of Democracy Alliance, also Soros. Tides -- so you know -- is the one that brings us the Apollo Alliance. The Apollo Alliance, that's the one that wrote the stimulus bill. Oh, Van Jones is on the Apollo Alliance board. Oh.

On his September 18, 2009, show, Beck said:

This is a progressive, George Soros-funded, extreme left-wing organization. It's all funded right through the Tides Foundation. It doesn't appear left-wing because, oh, they have all of these credible organizations with it. But what are their real goals?

Wade Rathke with ACORN. His brother Dale -- where is -- where is Dale? Here is his brother Dale is at SEIU -- we think. We're not sure. He was with ACORN, but nobody will give us a straight answer on where he went after embezzling almost $1 million and then George Soros' people at the Tides Foundation come up with $1 million just to make that problem go away. We think he went to SEIU, but nobody will give us a straight -- a straight answer.

On his September 18, 2009, show, Beck said:

I told you that we were going to talk about these things. We were going to talk about Obama, the Left, internationalists, graft, Acorn-style organizations, revolution and hidden agenda. Oligarh -- one letter is missing. Why did I select these words, because Acorn selects Tides, they all select their words first, and then tie them altogether into one word. Oligarch, the only letter that is missing is Y. I don't know what we're turning into an oligarchy, or what we're turning into, but unless you ask why, we're going to transform into something. Ask questions.

From the August 5, 2009, edition of Hannity:

MICHELLE MALKIN: Well, this is the mother of all smear campaigns by the Democrat National Committee and the White House. And this is the way they play. It's the Chicago way. It's hardball politics. It demonized your opponent, stifle dissent.

And it's laughable coming from an organization and a machine that has done nothing but Astroturf state grassroots in support of ObamaCare. And if you want to talk about K Street, let's talk about 1825 K Street. That is ground zero for the Soros and Tides Foundation-funded operation that has failed to put people on the ground to counter a truly grassroots movement among the tea party activists and counterinsurgency of taxpayer groups.

From the August 4, 2009, edition of Glenn Beck:

BECK: OK. So, let me switch gears. And, Phil, let me -- let me bring you in on something else. I have discovered this great little thing called the Apollo project that we've been talking about here, and this just -- boy, it's like a candy store that just never stops giving. Just candy everywhere.

Let -- I just want to go through this with you. Help me out. The Apollo project was started by the Tides Foundation. If you remember Van Jones, he's our green jobs czar, right?

From the August 3, 2009, edition of Glenn Beck:

BECK: The green jobs czar -- let me give this quote. "I was a rowdy nationalist in April 1992. By August, I was a communist. I met all these radical people of color -- I mean, really, really radical communists and anarchists, and it was, like, this is what I need to be a part of."

He's never taken this back. He is the guy who -- his Apollo project is what designed the stimulus package.

MALKIN: That's right. And as you pointed on your show, the word is getting out there on the Internet, underwritten by far-left radicals, like the Tides Foundation. And that's another problem with these czars is that you have these hard left radicals who have an unlimited amount of power to dole out goodies to their friends and to forge a very frightening agenda.

From the July 28, 2009, edition of Glenn Beck:

BECK: OK. And then we have Wade Rathke -- Wade Rathke, who is the founder of ACORN. He was on the board of directors -- if I'm not mistaken -- of the institution that is funding and paying for Apollo, right?

PHIL KERPEN: Yes. He's on -- he was until this year on the board of the Tides Foundation and the Tides Center, which are the parent organizations that host the Apollo Alliance.

BECK: OK. So, Wade Rathke, ACORN, Tides Center, they decide that they're going to fund and create Apollo. One of the founders is the guy who went to jail -- this is during the Rodney King thing -- he went to jail and he was just a black nationalist. He came out a communist and he also then started looking into the green movement, and he is the guy who said, "Hey, if we tie labor and ACORN and Greenpeace together, we've got a super- powerful group, Apollo."

Is it true Apollo helped design the stimulus package?

KERPEN: They did. They put out a draft stimulus bill last year in 2008. It included almost everything that ended up being in the final stimulus bill. Harry Reid has thanked them for helping design the final stimulus package that was enacted into law. And they brag on their Web site that they helped design this thing and push it through.

[...]

BECK: OK. America, I would like you -- I just like to ask you, Barack Obama keeps trying to separate himself from all of these organizations. He's telling us -- he's giving speeches and saying, "I'm one of you, guys; I really am one of you." But then, these organizations, he'll always distance himself over and over and over again from the individuals.

But let me ask you this -- John Podesta, Van Jones, who is now his green jobs czar, an avowed communist, we've got the SEIU, who's in his office once a week talking about labor. They're the ones who were negotiating with all of the health care industry. He's in the Obama's office all the time. Wade Rathke, former founder of ACORN. It all ties to the Tides Center.

On his June 15, 2009, show, Beck said:

BECK: You know, I have told you, for a while now, that this is -- I mean, did you notice some of the names involved here, especially the Tides Foundation. Tides Foundation -- gee, oh, we know them, because they bailed out ACORN. There are people and forces behind some of these things and it is a completely dishonorable debate because they're not telling you the truth -- I'm sorry. We're not listening to the truth. They are telling us, and you just saw what's coming our way.

On his May 21, 2009, show, Beck said:

So who is Drummond Pike, and what is the Tides Foundation? Well, the Tides Foundation is a major source of revenue for some of the most extreme groups on the left. Tides was set up as a public charity that receives money from their donors to be funneled to the recipients of their choice.

From the May 13, 2009, edition of Glenn Beck:

MATTHEW VADUM: Drummond Pike is the founder -- he is the founder of Tides Foundation, which is a shadowy pass-thru, it's like a donor-advised fund. So, for example, George Soros could write a check for $10 million to Tides Foundation, get the tax deduction for it, and then secretly store the money there and then tell them who to write the checks to. The Tides Center and Tides Foundation do that, and then they hand out the money anonymously.

FOLLOW US ›››

MattGertz
›››

Matt Gertz is Research Director at Media Matters. He has written extensively on media coverage of the Benghazi attacks, gun violence, voting rights, LGBT issues, and elections, as well as on media ethics. He joined Media Matters in 2007 and holds a B.A. in political science from Columbia University.

On December 7, President-elect Donald Trump named Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as his pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Media should take note of Pruitt’s climate science denial, his deep ties to the energy industries he will be charged with regulating, and his long record of opposition to EPA efforts to reduce air and water pollution and combat climate change.

President-elect Donald Trump has picked -- or considered -- nearly a dozen people who have worked in right-wing media, including talk radio, right-wing news sites, Fox News, and conservative newspapers, to fill his administration. And Trump himself made weekly guest appearances on Fox for a number of years while his vice president used to host a conservative talk radio show.